Folding wire easel



Nov. 8, 1927. 1,648,243

E. RAMIN FOLDING WIRE EASEL Filed April 2, 1927 Invenifir 152m Ra mz'rz Patented Nov. 8, 1927.

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Application filedApril 2 This invention relates particularly to a folding easel adapted to support cards, small pictures, phonograph records, and other articles, and to stand on a support such as a show case, a table, or a'shelf, or base in a show window. h

The object is to provide a simple, strong and durable easel composed entirely of wire and adapted to be conveniently foldedin small compass, and involving the employment in its construction of a minimum quantity of wire.

Of the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification,

Figure 1 is a perspective view showing my improved easel operatively adjusted or opened.

Figure 2 is an edge view of the same.

. Figure 3 is an edge view showing the easel folded.

Figure 4 shows in perspective the pair of front legs, and the fixed member of the triangular brace hereinafter described.

Figure 5 shows in perspective the single rear leg.

Figure 6 shows in perspectlve the hinged.

V-shaped member of the triangular brace.

Figure 7 is a top plan view of the hinged brace member.

Figure 8 is an enlargement of a portion of Figure 2, a portion of the hinged member loop embracing the rear leg being broken away and shown in section.

Figure 9 is an enlargement of a portion of Figure 7 and shows the portion of the rear leg shown by Figure 8.

The same reference characters indicate the same parts in all the figures.

12, 12 designates a pair of front legs connected at their upper ends by a neck 13 and diverging therefrom to their lower ends. The legs are provided with forwardly projecting rests 14 foran article supported by the easel, the rests being preferably formed by bending backwardly the lower portions of thefront legs. 15 designates a single rear leg having an eye 16 at its upper end loosely embracing the neck 13, so that the rear leg is hinged to the neck and is adapted to swing rearward from the front legs and form therewith a tripod, and toward the front legs as shown by Figure 3 to fold the easel.

The easel is provided with a triangular 1927. Serial no. 180,427.

brace of novel construction whereby the front legs 12 may be rigidly connected and permanently spaced apart in tripod formation, amember of the brace being fixed to the front legs and another member hinged to the fixed member and slid-ably connected with the rear leg. r

The fixed member of the brace is a straight rod 17 having eyes 18 formed on its opposite ends and rigidly secured to the front legs 12 in any suitable manner, as by closely compressing the eyes on the legs or soldering them to the legs. The hinged member of the brace is substantially V-shaped and includes two arms 19 having eyes 20 at their outer ends loosely embracing the fixed member 17, the latter constituting a hinge pintle on which the hinged member is adapted to swing from the inoperative folded position shown by Figure 3 to the operative position shown byFigures 1 and 2. The arms 19 of the hinged member are connected at their inner end portions by a loop 21 which, as indicated by Figure 2, is inclined relative to the arms. In forming the arms and loop from a length of wire I prefer to cross the arms as best shown by Figure 7, the arms contacting with each other where one crosses the other.

oblong opening 22 through which the rear The inclined loop surrounds an leg 15 passes. When the hinged brace member is in its operative position, the loop 21 bears at the point indicated by 23 (Figures 8 and 9), on oneside of the leg, and at the point indicated by'2t on the opposite side of the leg. The bearing points 23 and 24 are at different heights as best shown by Figure 8. The loop and the rear leg are so interengaged that the loop 21 grips the leg 15 and prevents swinging of the leg in either direction (toward or from the front legs). At the same time downward swinging'of the hinged brace member from the position shown by Figures 1 and 2, is prevented by the rear leg. In Figure 8 I have shown a portion of the loop broken away to show the location of the bearing-point 23 more clearly.

When the easel is to be folded, the hinged brace member is swung upward to the inoperative position shown by Figure 3, the brace member being located between the front legs and confining the rear leg 15 be side the front legs.

It will be seen that the triangular brace rigidly connects the three legs when the hinged member thereof is in its operative position so that the legs cannot deviate from the tripod formation.

Owing to the fact that the rear leg is a single length of wire, the quantity and cost of the material required for the manufacture of the easel are reduced to a minimum.

I claim:

A folding wire easel comprising, in combination, a pair of front legs connected at their upper ends by a neck and diverging therefrom to their lower ends, the legs and neck being formed from a single length of wire, a rear leg having a loop at its upper end, hinged at its upper end to the neck and adapted to swing rearward from the front legs to form therewith a tripod, and toward the front legs to fold the tripod, the rear leg and its loop being formed from a single length of wire, and a triangular brace composed of a straight member fixed to' and extending between the front legs and spacing them apart, and a V-shaped member including arms hinged at their outer ends to the fixed member and converging to their inner ends, and a gripping loop connecting the arms and inclined relative thereto, said loop embracing and being slidable on the rear leg,

the inclination of the loop being such that EZRA RAMIN. 

